ICYMI: #HighVoltageWoman IG Live featuring Grace Bowers

BY LAURA HARPER/WWR Staff Writer

It can take a lot to break through and make waves in the music industry, but a young musician who is doing just that is fifteen-year-old guitarist Grace Bowers.

Originally from California, Bowers and her family recently relocated to Nashville, Tennessee in part to support her budding music career. She has started to gain attention on social media for her guitar skills in the rock and blues genres, and has even earned a sponsorship from Gibson Guitars.

Bowers says her fascination with guitar started at the age of nine, when she stumbled upon a Guns N’ Roses music video on YouTube and wanted to play like Slash. However, it was not until the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic that her guitar playing really started to take off.

“I locked myself in my room all day and all I did was play guitar,” Bowers said.

While she prefers to play electric guitar, Bowers is also capable of playing acoustic. She says that she would also like to start singing, but feels a bit terrified to do so. However, she finds inspiration in finding other female musicians.

“It’s really dominated by men,” Bowers said. “You don’t see a lot of female musicians.”

While it can be a bit discouraging to see the imbalance between men and women in the music industry, Bowers says there can be an advantage to standing out as a female musician.

“It gives me an edge because there are not a lot of female musicians out there, but it can also be a disadvantage,” Bowers said.

Currently, Bowers plays with various singer-songwriters in music studios and small venues around Nashville. She has also gained some experience playing on the streets of a small city outside of Nashville for anyone passing by.

“I love playing for other people,” Bowers said.

Bowers says she wants to stay in Nashville, but her ultimate goal is to have her own band and tour around so she can play for as many people as possible. In the meantime, she dedicates her time to practicing as much as she can; on average, she plays for about two hours daily during the week.

For other young female musicians out there who are looking to take the first steps in their career, Bowers encourages them to just go for it and take a chance on themselves.

“Play the music you like and just practice,” Bowers said.

Bowers continues to gain popularity for her guitar playing with skills she developed through a combination of lessons and self-taught techniques.

Upcoming, Bowers has plans to play a few more live shows around the Nashville area and will be attending South by Southwest to do networking with Gibson.

For more on Grace Bowers, you can check out the entire interview on the @OfficialWomenWhoRock IGTV channel on Instagram.